Tom Hewitt News

The St. Louis Muny has announced that Patti Murin, Paul Vogt and John Riddle will lead the theater's production of The Little Mermaid as Ariel, Ursula and Prince Eric, respectively. They will be joined by Lara Teeter (Scuttle), Elizabeth Teeter (Flounder), Francis Jue (Sebastian), Lee Roy Reams (Chef Louis), Gary Glasgow (Grimsby), and Ken Page (King Triton).

Enter now to win tickets to see Kiss Me, Kate!

Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate is a delightful musical romp that can be seen again and again. It's timeless and an overblown, yet joyous account of two egotistical actors, once married to each other, who adore one another but just cannot be around each other very long without catastrophic, calamitous results. It's also a play within a play, as Lilli Vanessi (Lesli Margherita) and Fred Graham (Tom Hewitt) are on tour essaying Katharine and Petruchio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Above all, the silly contrived story is overshadowed by Cole Porter's divine score with some of the most glorious tunes ever composed. Kiss Me Kate is a showcase to Porter's genius. Reprise Theatre's current revival is devastatingly hilarious with top-notch direction from Michael Michetti and a magnificent cast.

Tom Hewitt, Lesli Margherita, Meg Gillentine and Seán Martin Hingston are the Broadway and West End stars that will lead the cast of Reprise Theatre Company's third production of the 2010-2011 season, 'Kiss Me, Kate', playing May 10 to 22 (press opening May 11, 2011) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The musical - with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Samuel and Bella Spewack will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre @ Boston Court and choreographed by Lee Martino. Michael Paternostro will serve as musical director.

Broadway star Tom Hewitt will costar with Lesli Margherita in Reprise's final show of this season Kiss Me Kate from May 10-22 @ the Freud Playhouse, UCLA. Best known for his award-winning role in the revival of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hewitt has played Count Dracula in Frank Wildhorn's musical production of Dracula, and costarred in a myriad of other hits like the tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and on Broadway as Billy Flynn in Chicago. In our conversation, he talks about Margherita, ...Kate and the numerous joys - some surprising - that he has encountered in his work, all the while displaying a wry humor.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Muny's summer season will include LEGALLY BLONDE, KISS ME KATE, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and more.

From her creation of the pivotal roles of Susan in Marvin Hamlisch & Craig Carnelia's simply smashing (if underappreciated) SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and Clara in Adam Guettel & Craig Lucas's five-time Tony-winning THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, to her effortless essaying of two of the most beloved female roles in the musical theater canon, opposite two of the biggest leading men on Broadway - THE PAJAMA GAME with Harry Connick, Jr. and SOUTH PACIFIC with Matthew Morrison (and Paulo Szot) - in addition to her work in Frank Wildhorn's JEKYLL & HYDE and DRACULA, Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, along with her stunning studio albums - all of these are just some of the reasons why Kelli O'Hara is in a very special class of performers. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss all of the aforementioned shows, as well as working with all of her fabulous co-stars and collaborators, and we also take a look at her recording studio work with Harry Connick, Jr. and take a look ahead to her sophomore solo album, ALWAYS which will be released on June 3. Plus, we have first news on her new roles in the musical versions of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, written by Jason Robert Brown, and FINDING NEVERLAND by Scott Frankel. We even have dish on working with Liza Minnelli and shooting SEX & THE CITY 2! This is all coming in anticipation of the tribute to Bob Hope at the NY Pops gala on May 2, which will also feature performances by Tom Wopat and Aaron Lazar - both of whom we will continue our SPOTLIGHT ON NY POPS series with later on this weekend. Don't miss them or a special presentation by theatre legend Angela Lansbury! Further information about the NY POPS event - including tickets - is available here.

Today we are talking to the composer of the new Broadway musical WONDERLAND, who is the only American composer to have had three of his shows running concurrently on Broadway - JEKYLL & HYDE, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL and THE CIVIL WAR - and has since solidified himself as one of the most successful international musical theatre composers of the 21st century, with his globe-spanning productions of everything from THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO in Switzerland to CYRANO in Tokyo to TEARS OF HEAVEN in Korea to the forthcoming Broadway production of BONNIE & CLYDE - the warm and gracious Frank Wildhorn. Over the span of our considerable discussion last week we touched on everything from his pop music roots writing hits for Whitney Houston and Kenny Rogers, to his tenure at Atlantic Records and his series of recordings, shows and concerts with muse Linda Eder, as well as a thorough discussion of his compositional process, what inspires him in a story, his own favorite musicals, what the future holds - EXCALIBUR with Jim Steinman, perhaps? The world premiere of the long-awaited HAVANA? JEKYLL & HYDE: THE MOVIE MUSICAL? - and much, much more!

Tom Hewitt, Lesli Margherita and Meg Gillentine are the Broadway and West End stars that will lead the cast of Reprise Theatre Company's third production of the 2010-2011 season, 'Kiss Me, Kate', playing May 10 to 22 (press opening May 11, 2011) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The musical - with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Samuel and Bella Spewack will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre @ Boston Court and choreographed by Lee Martino. Michael Paternostro will serve as musical director.

Treasure Island set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Streeton February 15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26). Treasure Island is presented by Golden Rivet Productions and Irondale Ensemble. Check out images from opening night below!

Treasure Island set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Streeton February15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26). Treasure Island is presented by Golden Rivet Productions and Irondale Ensemble. Check out images from the production below!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's ‘This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix.

Treasure Island set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Streeton February15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26). Treasure Island is presented by Golden Rivet Productions and Irondale Ensemble. Check out images from the production below!

Casting has been announced for B.H. Barry's production of Treasure Island. The production will set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Street) beginning February15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26).

Casting has been announced for B.H. Barry's production of Treasure Island. The production will set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Street) beginning February15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26).

Casting has been announced for B.H. Barry's production of Treasure Island. The production will set sail at Brooklyn's Irondale Center (85 South Oxford Street) beginning February15 (opening March 5, initially through March 26).

On Monday, December 20, 2010, the Broadway company of the international musical smash CHICAGO is pleased to welcome back Bianca Marroquin to the starring role of merry murderess Roxie Hart, for a three-week limited holiday engagement through Sunday, January 9, 2011.

In this exclusive interview with BroadwayWorld, Raul Esparza takes a comprehensive look back at his spectacular rise to fame from this time ten years ago in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW on Broadway, his first New York stage role, to now, with career-defining reviews for the out-of-town tryout of the new Alan Menken musical LEAP OF FAITH - as well as his sold-out American Songbook concerts early next year in New York. What does the future hold for Raul Esparza onscreen and onstage? Will it be Shakespeare or Sondheim or something completely new? Mamet or MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG? You may very well find your answer here.

On Monday, December 20, 2010, the Broadway company of the international musical smash CHICAGO is pleased to welcome back Bianca Marroquin to the starring role of merry murderess Roxie Hart, for a three-week limited holiday engagement through Sunday, January 9, 2011.

Over the course of our ninety minute conversation earlier this week, Tony-winning Broadway star Alice Ripley was kind enough to open up about her role in the phenomenon of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which is now kicking off a US Tour beginning in Los Angeles, as well as offer thoughts on many of her significant stage roles that she has taken on over the course of her impressive and varied career. Pete Townshend and THE WHO'S TOMMY to Andrew Lloyd Webber and SUNSET BOULEVARD and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, to Sondheim with COMPANY (as the greatest Amy of all time), and even a turn in ROCKY HORROR; Alice Ripley has seemingly done it all, and her passion, dedication and insight into her craft are amply evident in both her studied performances on stage as well as in discussing the art of acting in musical theatre in conversation and what she has taken as her inspirations to play Diana Goodman, ranging from Albee to O'Neill to actors like Cynthia Nixon, Toni Collette and more. In this portion of her most comprehensive interview to date, BroadwayWorld is proud to present Part I of InDepth InterView: Alice Ripley.